Well, here's chapter two. I'd like to thank my readers and reviewers- you rock! Enjoy the chapter!

Drifting Off in Thoughts of You

Chapter Two – Pictures

"Imouto-Chan… Can I sleep with you tonight?" Ai asked quietly, standing in the doorway of Natsumi's bedroom. Natsumi looked up from the photo album she was holding.

"Yeah, of course," she replied, looking back down at the photo album.

Ai smiled and took a seat beside Natsumi on her bed. Natsumi grinned and looked at a picture she took of Kankuro. Ai raised her eyebrow slightly.

"Imouto-Chan…"

Natsumi looked at Ai curiously.

"Yes…?"

Ai shook her head and smiled.

"Never mind," she said quickly.

Natsumi shrugged it off and continued looking through the photo album. Ai put her hand over a picture.

"Who took this picture…?"

Natsumi looked down at a picture of Gaara when he was younger.

"Temari-San took that picture of Gaara when he wasn't looking and she gave me a copy of it," Natsumi answered.

Ai smiled and nodded.

"Nee-Chan… About what happened today…" Natsumi began quietly.

Ai smiled sadly and lowered her head.

"Don't worry about it…"

Natsumi looked up at Ai.

"Nee-Chan, we're not children anymore- we can make our own-"

"Make your own what?" a gruff voice came from the doorway to Natsumi's room.

"O-tou-San," Ai and Natsumi said in unison. Natsumi gulped silently.

"Nothing, O-tou-San," she said quickly.

Natsumi and Ai lowered their heads. Natsumi moved the photo album behind her so her father couldn't see it.

Their father noticed Natusmi's moving hand and walked forward, his anger growing. Natsumi looked up quickly.

"O-tou-San-"

"What the Hell is this…?" he asked quietly.

Natsumi got up and tried to take the photo album away.

"It's nothing, O-tou-San!"

He pushed Natsumi roughly and looked through the photo album. Ai looked up at her father.

"O-tou-San, give it back!" Natsumi shouted. She got up quickly and tried once again to take the photo album away.

"Why do you have pictures of that rotten monster?" His voice got louder steadily. Ai's eyes flickered with pain and anger.

"O-tou-San- stop it, damn it!" Natsumi shouted.

Their father brought up his hand and brought it down quickly.

Ai's head turned as her cheek began burning. Natsumi and their father froze.

"Nee-Chan…"

Ai turned her head slowly and looked up at her father.

"That's mine; you don't need to take out your anger on Imouto-Chan…"

Natsumi's eyes widened slightly.

"Nee-Chan, what are you doing?" she whispered.

His anger continued growing.

"Why you good-for-nothing little piece of-…"

Their father threw the photo album out the window and grabbed a large chunk Ai's hair. He pushed her against the wall and punched her face. Ai fell to the ground with her head lowered.

"O-tou-San- stop it!" Natsumi shouted trying to get the large man away from her sister. He slapped Natsumi and pushed her away. He continued to take his anger out on Ai. He kicked her stomach and grabbed her by her hair again. He forced her to look at him and stand up. Blood trickled down the corner of her lips. He pushed her head back against the wall.

Natsumi's pleas fell onto deaf ears.

Natsumi ran out of the room and down to her parents' room.

"Okaa-San! Okaa-San, you have to stop O-tou-San! Please, he's hurting Nee-Chan!"

Her mother looked up and glared at her. She slapped Natsumi and pushed her out of the bedroom. The door slammed shut as her mother locked the door.

Natsumi ignored the stinging in her eyes and ran back to her room. She heard a scream andcame to a halt. Her father continued kicking Ai. Ai's wrist stood out in a strange angle.

"O-tou-San- leave her alone!" Natsumi cried, pulling her father away from Ai.

He pushed Ai again and hit her across the face again. He breathed heavily as he walked out of the bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

Ai fell to the ground. Her eye had a bruise forming around it and blood continued to trickle down the corner of her lips. Natsumi kneeled down in front of her, tears falling down from her eyes.

"Nee-Chan… Why did you do that? Why did you lie to O-tou-San?" she asked quietly, wiping the blood off her face.

"Imouto-Chan… Stop crying…" Ai said quietly, looking away.

Ai stood up shakily.

"Nee-Chan, sit down- you're hurt!"

Ai ignored her and walked to the window.

"He threw your pictures away… I'm sorry, Imouto-Chan…"

A sob escaped from Natsumi's mouth. Ai turned around stumbled slightly. She walked over to Natsumi and smiled faintly.

"Don't worry, I'll get your pictures back…"

Natsumi's eyes widened slightly.

"Nee-Chan, that's not why I'm crying!"

Ai continued smiling.

"I know…" Ai replied, dropping to her knees.

Ai's eyes closed slowly while Natsumi called out. Darkness clouded Ai's mind.

Temari looked up from a photo album and watched Kankuro walk inside their house.

"Hey, welcome back, Kankuro- how was the mission?"

Kankuro shrugged and got himself a glass of water.

"What're you looking at?" he asked, walking over to Temari.

Temari flipped a page of the photo album.

"Pictures," she said quietly.

Kankuro looked down at the pictures.

"You have a picture of those two?" Kankuro asked, looking down at a picture of Natsumi and Ai. Temari nodded and continued to look through the album.

"Maybe we should visit them sometime… I heard their parents were keeping them inside the house," Temari said, slightly worried.

"You think something's going on…?" Kankuro asked, putting his empty glass away.

"Not sure…" Temari began. "How's Gaara?"

Kankuro smiled faintly.

"He's fine- just catching up on some paper work."

"You know…I've always wondered about Ai and Gaara…." Temari said.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind," Temari replied, grinning slightly.

Gaara closed a folder and put it to the side of his desk. He stood up and walked over to a window. He looked up at the crescent moon as a memory flooded his mind.

-Memory-

Gaara sat down in silence and held his teddy bear close to him. He turned his head as he heard shuffling behind him. Ai stood there shyly, looking down at the ground.

"H- Hi, Gaara-…Kun…"

Gaara stood up and looked at her curiously.

'Why isn't she running away…?'

Ai looked up and began blushing furiously.

"Um… I- I got something for you…" she stuttered. Gaara continued looking at her curiously.

"Something… for me?" his voice croaked out.

Ai noticed this and smiled softly. She took out a small box of candy.

Gaara took it curiously.

"Nee-Chan, Okaa-San's looking for you!" a voice called out.

Ai sent another smile to Gaara and ran off. Gaara looked down at the box of candy and smiled as he walked home, holding the box and his teddy bear close.

-End Memory-

A small smile tugged at Gaara's lips.

'Ai…'

Chapter two! I'm sorry for the late update, I'll try to update faster!

Review please!